Compulsive hoarding, holding on to possessions to the extent that it negatively affects every aspect of your life, is called Hoarding Disorder, and if this applies to you or someone you love, it’s time to get professional help.

“Some people have so much accumulation, they will only have a narrow path from room to room, because canyons have been created by floor-to-ceiling stacks of newspapers and magazines. Stovetops, sofas and tables are buried. Fire and health hazards are created. And of course, your social life is constricted too - you’re too ashamed to have people over to the house. So are your kids.”

We, at Health Journeys, are always moved by the sincerity of the people who call us to ask whether we have anything that could help their loved ones, who are grieving. We are equally moved when we get calls from people seeking help for their own grief.

The Health Journeys staff members celebrated the implementation of the new HJ Player app last July, after fielding questions daily from iDevice users who were having problems navigating the old, multi-step process to sync the downloads they had purchased to their devices.

Sometimes customers would get so frustrated they would simply give up and purchase our programs from iTunes, but not everything we carry is available there.

The benefits of being kind and accepting of oneself have been studied and widely publicized. It seems we are encouraged on a daily basis to be compassionate to ourselves, but sometimes it's tough to figure out just what that means and how to do it.

What is the difference between self-compassion and self-esteem, we wonder, between self-compassion and self-indulgence? Fortunately, there are as many answers as there are questions, and many people, including Health Journeys' own Dr. Traci Stein, are providing resources to help us through the maze.

Rest:

Tis' the season to be jolly, but that's tough to do when you are stressed out about over-crowded to-do lists, last-minute shopping and what to buy for those special people who have been so good to you this year.

If you choose to let your mouse do the work, and shop online, check out our handy Online Gift Guide for inspiration.

If you have questions, need help deciding what to order or prefer to place a phone order, call 1-800-800-8661 to speak to one of our resourceful staff members, who double as holiday elves this time of year. We are in the office between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST on week days (our office is closed Dec. 24 and 25).